Modern communication needs have grown to the point that multiple communication outlets frequently need to be located in close proximity, at the same customer premises, in order to serve multiple devices including modems, telephones, and facsimile machines. It is undesirable to clutter a wall with many individual outlets, each serving a separate device. furthermore, when multiple outlets are brought together within the same apparatus, it is generally quite difficult to make the needed wiring connections in a convenient manner.
In order to solve these problems, various devices have heretofore been developed including the AT&T 42-type connecting block described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,188,505. That patent discloses an electrical connector having an input jack for receiving a modular plug, and screw-down terminal for receiving wires whose ends have been stripped of insulation. The input jack is also electrically connected to the screw-down terminals through snap-on connectors. While 42-type connecting blocks perform their intended function in an acceptable manner, a more compact connector is desired.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,261,633 describes a "Wiring Module for Telephone Jack" for use in connection with a wall plate. The wiring module described therein includes a metallic lead frame having a plurality of conductors that function as spring contacts, at one end of the lead frame, after insertion into an associated jack frame. Free-standing electrical connecting terminals are connected to the conductors at the end of the lead frame. The conductors of the lead frame fan out as they extend toward the connecting terminals. Nevertheless, these terminals are so close together that considerable dexterity is required for making connections by hand. Furthermore, although this wiring module achieves a certain degree of compactness, it appears that the associated wall plate can accept the maximum of only two such modular jacks before a second wall plate is required.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,865,564 discloses a "Wall Mounted Connecting Block" in which the conductors of a metallic lead frame are shaped as inclusion-displacing connectors, at one end of the lead frame, and they function as connecting terminals to facilitate making electrical connections by hand. The entire assembly is suited for wall mounting. Unfortunately, however, a single modular jack fills the entire available space of a conventional wall outlet.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,096,442 entitled "Compact Electrical Connector" issued to J. R. Arnett, et al. on March 17, 1992 describes a compact electrical connector which is formed from a metallic lead frame in a spring block. The lead frame comprises a number of flat elongated conductors, each terminating in a spring contact at one end and an insulation displacing connector at the other end. The insulation displacing connectors are folded around opposite side walls of the spring block to achieve compactness, and the spring contacts are folded around its front surface for insertion into a modular jack. The front surface of the spring block includes a tongue-like projection which fits into one end of a jack frame and interlocks therewith. A dielectric cover surrounds the spring block and lead frame assembly to assist in supporting the lead frame and electrically insulating it from external interference. Up to six such compact modular jacks can be mounted on a single wall plate having conventional dimensions. While the electrical connector described therein has met with commercial success, it has been found that for communications applications having high frequency signals and improved connector is required.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,186,647 entitled "High Frequency Electrical Connector" issued to W. J. Denkmann, et al. describes an electrical connector for conducting high frequency signals which includes a number of input and output terminals which are interconnected by a pair of metallic lead frames mounted on a dielectric spring block. The lead frames are identical to each other and comprise several flat elongated conductors. Each conductor terminates in a spring contact at one end and an insulation-displacing connector at the other end. The lead frames are mounted on top of each other and their conductors are generally parallel and close to each other. Only three of the conductors of each lead frame are arranged to overlap three of the conductors of the other lead frame, and this occurs in a designated crossover region without electrical contact being made because of a reentrant bend in the conductors in the crossover region. As a result, the connector described therein has considerably less crosstalk between specific conductors than devices heretofore know.
Nevertheless, for a number of applications, an electrical connector having even less crosstalk would be desirable. In particular, the rate of data flow, which has increased substantially in recent years, has led to networks that have evolved to accommodate not only a greater number of users but also higher data rates. At higher data rates the wiring paths become antennae which both broadcast and receive electromagnetic radiation. Signal coupling ("crosstalk") between different pairs of wires is a source of interference that degrades the ability to process incoming signals. This is manifested quantitatively as decreased signal-to-noise ratio, and, ultimately, as an increased error rate. Accordingly, crosstalk becomes an increasingly significant concern in electrical design as the frequency of interfering signals increases.